Validity and Reliability of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) for Family Caregivers of Children with Cancer.

Currently, information about the psychometric properties of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) in family caregivers of children with cancer is not available; thus, there is no empirical evidence of its validity and reliability to support its use in this population in Mexico or in other countries. This study examined the psychometric properties of the BAI in family caregivers of children with cancer and pursued four objectives: to determine the factor structure of the BAI, estimate its internal consistency reliability, describe the distribution of BAI scores and the level of anxiety in the sample and test its concurrent validity in relation to depression and resilience. This cross-sectional study was carried out with convenience sampling. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the BAI, the Beck Depression Inventory and the Measurement Scale of Resilience were administered to an incidental sample of 445 family caregivers of children with cancer hospitalized at the National Institute of Health in Mexico City. Confirmatory factor analysis using the maximum likelihood method was performed to determine the factor structure and exploratory factor analysis using axis factorization with oblique rotation was conducted. The two-, three- and four-factor models originally proposed for the BAI did not hold. The exploratory factor analysis showed a model of two correlated factors (physiological and emotional symptoms). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a lack of discriminant validity between these two factors and supported a single-factor model. The internal consistency of the scale reduced to 11 items (BAI-11) was good (alpha = 0.89). The distribution of BAI-11 scores was skewed to the left. High levels of symptoms of anxiety were present in 49.4% of caregivers. The scale was positively correlated with depression and negatively correlated with resilience. These findings suggest that a reduced single-factor version of the BAI is valid for Mexican family caregivers of children with cancer.

Bienestar psicológico y satisfacción vital en adolescentes mexicanos tempranos y medios / Psychological well-being and life satisfaction in Mexicans at early and mid-adolescence

Resumen Con base en la perspectiva del Desarrollo Positivo del Adolescente, el objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la contribución de las dimensiones del bienestar psicológico sobre la satisfacción vital en adolescentes mexicanos tempranos y medios. Participaron de manera voluntaria 572 estudiantes de 13 a 18 años de edad (Medad=15.24; DE=1.90) de escuelas secundarias y bachilleratos públicos de la Zona Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México. Se aplicó una Cédula Sociodemográfica del Adolescente y su Familia, la Escala del Bienestar Psicológico para Adolescentes y la Escala de Evaluación Afectivo-Cognitiva de la Vida. Los adolescentes presentaron valores por arriba de la media en el bienestar psicológico y la satisfacción vital. Se encontraron relaciones significativas entre las dimensiones del bienestar psicológico y la satisfacción vital. La autoaceptación y el autocontrol predicen la satisfacción tanto en adolescentes tempranos como medios, aunque las relaciones positivas y el propósito de vida fueron predictores significativos en los primeros y los planes a futuro en los segundos. Estos hallazgos podrían orientar el diseño de programas para promover el bienestar psicológico y la satisfacción vital considerando las etapas del desarrollo de la adolescencia.

Abstract Based on the Positive Development of Youth perspective, the aim of this study was to analyse the contribution of psychological well-being and its dimensions on life satisfaction in early and middle adolescence. Participants were 572 students, aged 13 to 18 years (Mage=15.39; SD=1.90), from public high and senior-high schools in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area. The Adolescent and Family Sociodemographic Schedule, Psychological Wellbeing Scale, and Affective-Cognitive Life Evaluation Scale were administered. The adolescents studied showed values above the mean for both, psychological well-being and life satisfaction. Significant relationships between the dimensions of psychological well-being and life satisfaction were found. Self-acceptance and self-control predicted life satisfaction for both early and middle adolescents; however, positive relationships and life purpose, were predictors of life satisfaction for early adolescents, whereas future plans were a predictor for middle adolescents' life satisfaction. These findings could help in designing programs to promote well-being and life satisfaction according to adolescent developmental stages.

Construcción, confiabilidad, validez de contenido y discriminante del Inventario Autodescriptivo del Adolescente / Development, reliability, content and discriminant validity of Self-Description Adolescent Inventory

En los últimos años la población adolescente ha incrementado de manera importante, particularmente en Latinoamérica, y también han aumentado los problemas de salud en dicho sector. La Organización Mundial de la Salud al igual que la Federación Mundial de Salud Mental han considerado prioritaria la atención durante la adolescencia en tanto que la estabilidad emocional y física en dicha etapa es la base del desarrollo saludable en la edad adulta. De este modo la evaluación psicológica durante la adolescencia ha cobrado gran relevancia. El propósito de este trabajo es presentar la construcción del Inventario Autodescriptivo del Adolescente, una propuesta cuyo objetivo es la identificación de factores de riesgo en las dimensiones: familiar, personal, social, escolar, salud, y sexual. La construcción del instrumento se realizó básicamente en dos estudios: uno de ellos para examinar la validez de contenido a través de los coeficientes de concordancia kappa con la participación de 31 jueces expertos, y otro, para evaluar la confiabilidad y validez discriminante. Participaron tres muestras de adolescentes (13 a 18 años de edad); una muestra piloto de 113 estudiantes, una muestra normal de 1660 estudiantes de secundaria y preparatoria de escuelas públicas y privadas, y una muestra clínica de 76 adolescentes que asistían a instituciones de salud públicas y privadas de la Ciudad de México. Los análisis arrojaron coeficientes de concordancia kappa altos (.935) así como también alfas de Cronbach altas (alpha global .90). Se encontraron diferencias significativas con t de Student, entre la muestra normal y la clínica.

In the last years the adolescent population has incremented in a thoughtful way, especially in America, health problems have also raised too. The World Health Organization as well as the World Federation of Mental Health had considered high-priority to aid adolescents due to the emotional and physical stability is the basis for a healthy and full development in the adulthood. The psychological evaluation during adolescence has charged great relevance. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a new instrument, the Self-Description Adolescent Inventory, a proposition which goal is the identification of risk factors in the family, social, personal, school, and health dimensions. The development of the instrument was done basically in two studies. The first one, in order to examine the content validity by using kappa concordance coefficients (31 judges participated), and the second one, to evaluate the realibility and the discriminant validity. There were several adolescents samples (13 to 18 years old); 113 pilot sample students, 1660 normal students of public and private high and junior-school, and clinical sample of adolescents attending mental public and private health institutions in Mexico City. The analysis brought up high kappa coefficients (.935) and high Cronbach alphas too (global alpha .90). Significant differences between normal and clinical sample by using t Student were established.